Signal.



0. W. SAMMT. SIGNAL. nruonmn mum 11.10, 1013.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

2 BHBETB-SHBET 1.

0. W. SAMMT.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1913.

1,108,398. Patented Aug. 25, 1914,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

vehicles or-pcdesorians may h therefore, he ea:

Jail/1T, or feasts PARK, rows.

EIGKAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

.hyplication filcrl. January 10, 1913. Serial No. 741,300.

To all whom it may concern:

zen of the United States, re a Park, in the county of Die n and. .r of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals. of'which the following is a specification.

The object of this in ention; is to provide a Simple and easily operated signal whereby the direction in which an automobile or other moving vehicle DO travel may he indicatedy so that cell ion with other "oi-fled.

' normal position. hen it is desired to indiis. a detail View of the casing.

cats that l the" vehicle will niove straight ahead.

Other incidental objects-of the invention will appear as the descri otion of the same proceeds. i I

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will he hereinafter first fully described, the novel for tnres being subsequently particularly pointe ut in the a oended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elcva- .t-ion of a ortion of an automohileishowing my signal in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same; .Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailelevation of the signal; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the signal casing, showing the operating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail View of a portion of the target, showing the same adjusted one side, and indicating means whereby a ism? will be automatically energized so that signal will prove effective at night; Fig. 6

contact points therein and the wires or conductors leading from said contact points; Fig. 7 is a -sirnilar View oi." the low r-end of thcftarget; Fig. '8 is a detail. v 1 a'haingnar show ing the The automobile indicated at 1 may he of any preferred type and-the signal indicated, generally, at 2 may be mounted thereon n any convenient position. The signal illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to the dashboard of 'the eincle and will preferably be mounted thereon, as it will then be "Within convenient reach of the chauffeur and will also he in a conspicuous position so that pedestrians and r.)ccupants of other vehicles may easily i The signal comprises a vibratory and t several parts of the sig so disposed that the target will he ell' sct somewhat laterally from the clashli oard, so that 'it may be viewed by persons in rear of the vehicle as well as by persons at the side or in front thereof. The target "and thecasing in which it is mounted will also he preferably painted in stripes of contrasting colors. as indicated at 4, so that it will he very conspicuous in appearance and attract the attention of persons who are close to the vehicleand will indicate to t1 cm by the position inwhich it is Set the direction in which it is intended to steer the vehicle. so that pedestrians-and occupants of other vehicles may aid in avoiding collision.

in the portion ar .enihodimentof the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. a bracket 5 secured by screws or equivalent derives to the dashboard 6, and the said bracket has annptnrned arm 7 which is adapted to he engaged by an eye or loop 8 on the back of an arm 9 dependfrom a casing 10. This arrangement is clearly shown in F ii. ,3, and itwill alsoloe noted that in said figure a setscrewrll is niol-inted in the eye or loop to bear upon the upturned portion Y of the bracket and thereby secure the casing firmly upon the braclret. This setscrew' imparts greater security to the device. but is not essential. The casing 10 preferably formed of two circular members. as shown most clearly in Fig. 1, connected bolts or screwsinserted through registering lugs 12 upon the edges of the sections, and the sections are provided with notches 13 which will regis fer when sections are placed together, so that opening: will he idedat the top of i; r 'hroa h 3 ma tl, preferably oil head bl at its upper end and pivoiv at its lower end within the casing, u'id'icated at 15. To the lower litreinity of the target and on rhe cei'itral longitlidinal line thereof issecured the upper, end of a spring l6, the lower end of which is secured to the bottom of the casing so as to hold the target'iiorg mally in a central vertical position. Should the target be moved to eitherlside, it will be seen atv once, the spring will bedistended and will then, of course, return the target to its normal vertical position-immediately after the removal of the force by'which it was shifted to one side. I

Mounted upon the pivot pin or shaft and secured rigidly to the target. is a sproel t wheel or equivalent device 1.? over win n a flexible driving meu'ibcr 18 which is illustrated as consisting in part of a chain engaging the top of the sprocket wheel, so that the movement of the said driving member will rotate the'said wheel. Inasmuch as the wheel is rigid with the target, the rotation of the wheel will. swing the target to either side about its pivot, according to the' direction in which the wheel is rotated. Cables or similar devices 19 are secured to the ends of the chain and pass. through openings 20 in the bottom of ,thecasing to and around idl'ers or guide pulleys 21 mo untcd upon the arm 9 and then extend inwardly to and over idlers or-guide pulleys :22 on the dash-board, whence they are carried downward to a foot lever'or' pedal23 to which they are attached, said foot-lever or pedal. being pivoted upon the dash-board between the ends of the cables, as shown at. 24. To prevent the chain slipping from the sprocket wheel and thereby rendering the device inoperative, I employ a guard 25 which is in the forin of an arcuate' cap fitting the chain anddepending at one side slightly past the-side of the chain and being provided at the'opposite side with 'alug 26 through which asuitable securing device is inserted into the target.

It will 'be'readily understood from the foregoing descriptiom take'n' in connection wit-lithe accompanying drawings, that if the pedal or :toot lever23 be vibrated, a pull will be exerted upon one of the cables 19 so as to draw the ,target to that'sid eand per.- sons observing the target will then know that it is, intended to turn the vehicle in the direction in hich the target points. Uponthe pedal or foot lever being released, the spring attached to the target at once returns the same to its central vertical position and observers will then know that the vehicle is to travel straight ahead;

The apparatus, thus far described, .will prove effective in day light, but, as vehicles are used at'night orafter dark to nearly as great an extent asinday'light, I provide means {or ilhnninatiug the signal, so that the. vehicle zi'ia v be continuously used. At

the (enter of the head ll of the target, I sccure an iia-andcsccut electric lamp, indicated coin-elitism!iv at 2?, and the conductors 28 connect-ad to the said lamp may be carried down the target arm or embedded therein in any c-z-nvcnient or preferred manner. The lower ends of these conductors are secured to contact points 29 carried by the target near the lower end thereof and at op positesides of the same. I also provide within the casing three contact points, indicated conventionally at 30, one of said contact points being secured in the central vertical plane of the casing and the others being spaced at equal distances therefrom and at the opposite sides thereof. Electrical conductors or wires 31 lead from the battery or magnet-o to these contact points 30, one of these conductors being secured to the central contact point and the other conductor being connected through branches with each of the side contact points30. When the target is standing in a vertical position the Contact points thereon will" occupy positions inter.- mediate the contact points on the casing and,

consequently, the circuit through the lamp will be broken and the lamp will not burn. Should the target, however, be moved; to either side, the contacts thereon willbe brought against the central contact and the adjacent contact-on the casing, so that the circuit through the lamp willbe closed and .the lamp will burn: As long as the lamp is not burning, the vehicle will indicate a straight ,aheadcourse, but when the lamp is burning the center'of illumination will be at one or the other side of the. apparatus and will, consequently, indicate an intention to turn the vehicle to that side.

My device is exceedingly simple in. the construction, arrangement, and operation of its parts, so thatit is not liable to get out of order and may be produced and put upon the market at a low cost.v

What I claim is: p 1. A sig nal of the character set forth comprising a casing, an arm pivotallv mounted within the casing, a wheel rigid with the arm, an arcuate cap secured to the arm and extendingover-the said wheel, and a flexible driving member engaging the said wheel and prising a casing, an arm pivotallv mounted within andrrising from the said casing, means connected with said arm within'the casing for oscillating the same, a lamp carricd by the upper end of the arm. spaced contact pends on the arm near the lower end thereof, electrical conductors between the lamp and the said contact points, a fixed contact point in the casing, a pair of contact points fixed in the casing at opposite sid s of tbs first mntioned contact point, an electrlc-al conductor leadmg from the first men tloned. contactpolnt, and. a branched electn- In. testimony whfircof I afiix' my signature 4 I 5 cal conductor leading from the said pair of i I l in presence of two witneaqes.

(TITS V SAMMT. [1-, 5.}

Witnes=-ses F. L. W B. H. Sonomimmmlxn 5 Contact points, all of said points being arranged to be engaged by the contaci points .0 the arm; 

